Hammerin Hank Aaron YouTube Swing: How To Hit Your 1st Home Run

gohpl.com/3JYcl3k - Click the preceding link to get more Hammerin Hank Aaron swing mechanics AND grab my most popular 'Add 40-Feet' to batted ball distance video.
One can learn a lot from this Hammerin' Hank Aaron swing on KZbin - how to hit your first home run. Hank Aaron stats and watch an episode of the Home Run Derby Game Show from 1960 where Hank battles Al Kaline!
#hankaaron #swinganalysis #powerhitting #powerhitter #baseballhitting #hittingdrills
This Hank Aaron baseball swing analysis video is based on an article revealing: This Secret Weapon is the "Hit" of MLB Power Hitters (and it's found in kangaroos!!), Why 'Grip It And Rip It' is Dead Wrong, and How to Drive the Ball Farther Now! (even correct arm-barring!).
Click the following link to get more Hammerin Hank Aaron swing mechanics AND grab my most popular 'Add 40-Feet' to batted ball distance video:
gohpl.com/3JYcl3k

[@HittingPerformLab]

Click the following link to get more Hammerin Hank Aaron swing mechanics AND grab my most popular 'Add 40-Feet' to batted ball distance video: gohpl.com/3JYcl3k

[@wilbert916]

Hank NEVER had a 50 HR season. Yet he was STILL the HR king for decades. Consistency was the key to his success. Hats off to him.

[@HittingPerformLab]

I agree wholeheartedly

[@madcat5965]

He still is THE home run king. Barry Bonds is nothing more than a talented but greedy player who resorted to cheating to reach the seemingly unreachable. Not just a cheater, but a cheater who is too cowardly to admit it.

[@reedtarleton]

+Ride The Lion Nah bruh bonds is the king

[@Jacobthekid28]

@@reedtarleton With the help of steroids

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

I think the Simon and Garfunkel song needs an update....where have you gone....Henry Aaron

[@RG-pt6ok]

Show the video already seriously

[@kdub4]

MANCHESTER UNITED what the hell are u talkin bout

[@briangriffin69]

@MANCHESTER UNITED is back at it again! Commenting this on every baseball video. Soccer blows!

[@haydenisaacs9786]

@MAN UTD soccer is fucking boring

[@evielknievel4972]

I played soccer and liked it. But this is a baseball video and stop being a party pooper. By the way ...I love baseball also and it's all about having fun.

[@ErichLRuehs]

Mr. Hank Aaron was not actually a big man, especially compared to today's players. His batting eye, however, was near perfect, his mechanics were perfect, wrists, the best ever and consistency, the best of all time. He was also incredibly strong and had some of the best "fast twitch muscle fibers" in baseball history. Aaron is the home run champ; NOT Bonds.

[@ErichLRuehs]

Oh yeah ... on top of all that, Mr. Aaron was a true gentleman, an honorable man and role model in the truest sense of the word; on and off the field. Forget about baseball's HOF. The Hammer was a HOF human being.

[@HittingPerformLab]

That my friend is WHY he is one of the best EVER.

[@isaac_eg8]

Erich L. Ruehs yes sir amen!..

[@JDMatthias]

Bonds may deserve to be in the hall of fame, but Hank should always be considered the home run champion.

[@robbystechman6384]

Been saying that for 10 years in future when hopefully all is well want a petiction to make hank Aaron all time homerun king

[@Rushmore222]

Mr. Aaron also amassed 3,771 hits, so he still would have been comfortably in the 3,000 hit club even if you took all of his HR's off the board. Just a spectacular hitter all around.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Only man with 3,000 hits, 700 HRs, 2,200 RBIs, 300 batting average, and multiple gold gloves. What is scary, I believe he rarely walked and early struck out, so his hits were hits. That also means he was the ultimate contact hitter as well. He only had 1383 strikeouts, but 1402 walks.

[@lloydkline6946]

Master &batsman hank Aaron& legendary homerun & baseball ⚾️player

[@Loiyaboy]

Arguably the greatest hitter ever.

[@georgefloydspaceshuttlepro1839]

People overthink hitting. The raw ingredients of great hitting is 1, hitting the ball, 2, hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat, 3, hitting it with max speed, 4, hitting it at the point of wrist turn over where your bat speeds up to whiplash momentum. All this can be perfected by throwing a ball up in the air to yourself and learning how to swing quickly and align all those points until you are able to unload massive swinging power every time you toss it up. And to improve your speed you just toss it up a couple inches. There is very little need to practice against live pitching because you have muscle memory of your hips, your start of swing, and where the sweet spot is going to be when you swing. And you will find you don't have to have a specific type of stance or swing. Tossing the ball up to yourself and swinging for destruction of the ball will eventually after many hundreds of tosses create its own symmetry of movement for your individual body

[@joseanthompson9069]

R.I.P HANK KING AARON

[@drewhunkins7192]

Arguably the greastest baseball hitter ever to live. Imagine if guys like Aaron, Mays and Ted Williams took juice like Bonds?! Their numbers would've been out of this world. Aaron would've hit 1000 HRs, Mays would've been close to 1000 HRs and Williams would've hit .400 for a few yrs after he was the last man to hit .400. My three greatest hitters of all-time is a 3 way tie: Aaron, Mays, Ted Williams.

[@jarreuscapehart907]

Drew Hunkins That’s not true. Steroids don’t make you a better hitter. They just help you recover faster from game to game. Taking Steroids won’t help you square up 97 mph from Randy Johnson in on the hands.

[@mrbigdaddyjoe4889]

Thats one ridicious comment EVER. Sorry but Barry Bonds never tested positive for Roids plus it doesnt take Bonds accomplishments away. The guy had over 300 walks a season. Besides Aaron wasnt a better hitter than Bonds. Bonds strikeout less than Aaron did. Bonds could also hit for avg.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

So did Aaron. No, the roids don't create a great ballplayer, but they make a great one considerably stronger. Bonds, Sosa, and McGuire turned into freaks. It's all kind of a shame, but all sports involve so much money now that the temptation to push the envelope is overwhelming. I'm not sure what I'd do. I know this other guy is getting a boost, so to compete I have to too. Remember those East German women swimmers that won everything in 76? All looked like linebackers? Their coaches were feeding them roids like TicTacs. It was so bad that one of them finally just gave up and lived the rest of her life as a man. I guess that was the beginning of the end. I'm glad I was a kid when the likes of Aaron were around

[@frankpalancio8471]

Aaron's swing was similar to Clemente. Posted up hard on the front leg. Like a golfer. This video was aggravating because they only showed him swinging the bat once, the rest was a theory on body torque between the shoulders and hips. To me, it looks like Aaron hit mostly with his wrists and forearms.

[@Sevcrow]

Aaron hit a lot of HR's because he has really strong wrists. The point in the swing,where he rolls his wrists, his was quicker than the avg player.

[@Loiyaboy]

YES!

[@carltonholmes8743]

On average how many times would I have to jerk off a day to get wrists like his?

[@Sevcrow]

@@carltonholmes8743 12

[@carltonholmes8743]

@@Sevcrow let me start rn. Thank you.

[@uknowwho4235]

I heard that a lot of his bat speed, and control, were from his ridiculous hand strength, and I heard he got insanely strong hands from playing with a stress ball a lot. I'm not sure where I heard this or if it's true, but if it is that's awesome! Lol

[@danwellington1687]

The dropping of the hands is done in sync with the lifting of the front foot to cock the hips. It is a natural bio-mechanical action used to sync the hands up with the lower body...leading to a smooth natural swing. If you choose to coach this natural action out of kids you will mess up their natural rhythm and sync mechanism. The best way to understand what the hand drop is in hitting, is to study the overhand throw motion. Aaron isn't swinging the bat...he's throwing the barrel at the ball.

[@HittingPerformLab]

I couldn't agree more Dan. Unfortunately the spring loaded torso is taught out of kids, they're taught to load with their hands back to the catcher (this is wrong if the hitter wants to turn faster). Also, it's the front shoulder coming down and back towards the back hip, and back shoulder moving away from front hip that loads this spring. Energy in the swing is transferred from body...to barrel...to ball.

[@carlfuggiasco7495]

Dan Wellington hit the nail on the head..................that's olde school teaching that worked for the first 100 years of the game, or any game!

[@catfishcave379]

When Hank was a kid, he tied a brick to a rope and attached the rope to a broomstick. He would then hold the broomstick with both hands and wind the rope and brick up. Then wind it down and go in the opposite direction. He always said that was why he had quick wrists.

[@zriter59escritor33]

Aaron is often called a wrist hitter. But quick wrists, while certainly part of the picture in his case, could not alone account for his achievements. Just as important: Hank was an outstanding athlete. He embodied all the qualities of great athleticism: ample strength, superb reflexes, first-rate coordination and the physical grace of a fine dancer. Combine such qualities -- the result is one hell and a half of a hitter.

[@marknewberry8521]

His quick wrists enabled him to sit on breaking balls yet be able to make a last split second attempt to connect on a fastball.

[@moboutmen]

Roid free zone

[@HittingPerformLab]

True!

[@historyrepeated4239]

Great video. Hitting mechanics should be developed in an attempt to intersect the bat/barrel with the ball trajectory with optimal force. If you leave humans alone, they eventually will figure this out on their own. Look at hammer throw or even swinging an axe…..many of the same movements as a quality baseball swing. I don’t know what you think of HLP hitting instruction, but the proponents of it seem to misunderstand numerous kinetic concepts and the specific movements that made Hank so successful. It’s not popular to question HLP in this day and age, but one does wonder why strikeout ratios are so high. Is it simply because of dominant pitching? Or is it because HLP has lead us to less efficient swing planes? I have my thoughts but would love to hear yours.

[@HittingPerformLab]

I agree 100%. HLP is ruining hitting. It's making swingers NOT hitters. Adapting barrel paths to specific pitch locations is what the old timers did. You can't swing up (HLP) to an up fastball and expect to be 100% on-time, on the sweet spot, with your best swing more than 1 out of 25. After looking at Judge's stats on all pitches, if all he saw were up fastballs, change-ups down and in, and sliders down and away, he'd hit barely above Mendoza with 3 jacks. Rich is a con man. He's taught the same old thing for so long and has gotten lucky grabbing some of the talent he has. Why don't you ask Bellinger how well HLP teaching worked for him the last 3-4 years with the Dodgers. Poor guy couldn't hit a belt high fastball.

[@dzanier]

Hammerin Hank had about the quickest wrists of any hitter ever. Tremendous bat speed.

[@impactite]

+Daniel Zanier Hank Aaron has the biggest most massive forearms. He could turn those wrist and the tip end of that bat was accelerating unbelievably fast. Tremendous power to move a bat that fast with such a small point of leverage.

[@Loiyaboy]

Mike Schmidt had similar wrists Watch his 500th homer video and you see he snapped his wrists through the zone to generate the power.

[@dzanier]

@@Loiyaboy true.

[@SkinsConrad]

The reason he was a great hitter had nothing to do with his swing. He had a lousy swing with way to many moving parts and he moved way to forward with the front of his body. And didn't plant his back foot and lean back on his hip like you're supposed to. The reason he was a great hitter is the same reason all the greats were great hitters: incredible 20/15 vision. They see the ball better than the average player. Just like Tony Gwynn said when he said he could see the seams and the rotation. Also, Hank Aaron would hit bottle caps with a broom handle when he was a kid. Don't try to over analyze and reinvent the wheel here with a bunch of psycho babble. It's all in the vision. See the ball, hit the ball. All the great ones had completely different swings. But the all had great vision.

[@HittingPerformLab]

I wish I could agree with you here. What's explained in the video is proven human movement science. Yes, vision plays a role, but not the sole reason for his consistent power over a 23 year career. Are you telling me Hank Aaron had this 20/15 vision in the last 5-10 years of his career? I want to see proof of that. Aaron hit out front a majority of his career because nobody wanted to throw him a frigging fastball. He even said he looked for a breaking ball his whole career because he knew no pitcher could throw a fastball by him. Power doesn't come from the legs. It doesn't come from the arms. It comes from the spine and torso. From springy connective tissue called fascia. This is why he still got the results he did while being out in front. A loaded torso doesn't care if it's on the front leg. Read Thomas Myers's Anatomy Trains book, it'll change the way you look at hitting...FOREVER.

[@stanleybeekman8269]

HittingPerformLab I understand why you say the spine is the basis of the motion as per Serge Gracovetsky. (He shows the double amputee of the entire leg walking). However if you look at the spiral line of fascia, you will note that it travels down to the iliotibial band and the peroneal muscles and the anterior tibial muscles. These structures are responsible for the lateral movement of the body. As hitting and pitching require lateral movement followed by the rotation, wouldn't it be wise to load/stabilize these structures also to provide an anchor for the movement of the spinal line? How about the neck which is the other end of the spinal line?

[@HittingPerformLab]

Right on Stanley! I only have so much time in a video before I start losing people ;-) I try and focus on peeling one layer of the onion at a time. People must understand the whole body is connected. Can you explain how to load/stabilize the areas you mentioned for lateral movement?

[@stanleybeekman8269]

HittingPerformLab I feel your pain. I gave one lecture to a group of sports podiatrists on tensegrity and the foot. There was an ocean of blank faces after the third slide (of 125). I really don’t know the answer to the question; I was hoping you knew it. Since you want me to try, I will do my best. The more I look at it, the less sure I am of the answer. Does the body want increased tension for strength or decreased tension for mobility? It appears that the answer may be neither. If we look at fascia, there are smooth muscles and nerve fibers in fascia to allow for changes in tension in a slow and non powerful way. It would make sense then that the fascia is not made to change its length beyond a certain elastic limit. The neck and shoulders move in opposite directions to maintain the fascia’s tension. (As the shoulder rotate counter-clockwise during a swing, the head being relatively stationary results in a clockwise rotation of the head relative to the shoulders). In the lower extremity, the hips abduct while the ankles invert which negates each other’s effect on the fascia, so as in the neck and upper thoracic region there is no net effect on the fascia. However, we can’t discount the effect of the lateral line of fascia in the lower extremities. It would however appear that the system is more dynamic than meets the eye, as everything moves to keep the fascia from having too much tension so that the entire tensegrity system can have motion. At the same time all the fascia is resisting deformation as all the muscles are working together to prevent this deformation. So it appears that we have greater strength and mobility by having opposite motions to counteract changes in fascial tension. What do you think?

[@HittingPerformLab]

Stanley, are you a Rolfer? You have a pretty good grasp of this stuff. You provided some great in-depth information. I wanted to get your take. I haven't thought that deeply about each of the Anatomy Train lines. I just group them all together in the Stability X pattern. They all connect and overlap, its hard to specify which ones are doing what, like we can with muscles. The challenge for us coaches is to explain it in a way that young hitters can understand. And doing this while other coaches are coaching natural movement out of kids. I try and teach in broad strokes. Un-weighting, spine engine mechanics, fascial loading, etc. That's so crazy about those podiatrists. I tell my hitters stories like this all the time. This goes for doctors and nutrition know-how as well. Thanks so much for your take. It always helps to hear someone else explain it, there's always something new I learn :-)

[@alwayshard1464]

The hammer never knew all this info, all he had was God given talent which isn't taught, just nurtured !

[@paul-baseballcollector]

Nothing is God given or innate. Everything is learned. Only your biology and physiology are innate.

[@stanleybeekman8269]

I just stumbled onto this page. You have said a few things that very few doctors/people/therapists understand. 1. The bones float in the fascial matrix. 2. Spinal engine 3. The Stability X pattern (one of the lines of fascia from Anatomy trains). The muscles hook into the fascia I am very impressed. These are the basic concepts of how the body really works.

[@HittingPerformLab]

Thanks Stanley. This is still very new to the baseball/softball world. I get naysayers all the time (just read some of the comments below), but as soon as I mention scientifically proven human movement science, I don't hear back from them.

[@sandman4224]

The reason for the shoulder going down is the shift of the hips to the rear which tilts the spine angle downward. After the plant of the front foot, the process is reversed with the shift which tilts the spine angle in a more upward plane. Front shoulder then goes up, rear shoulder down,which allows the powerful uncoiling of the arms and hands. Centrifugal force will then straighten the arms out and release the hands through impact. A great compound pivot by Hammerin' Hank.

[@johnnyjohnson1370]

These legends ,williams ,mantle all hitched down and came back up to level up to a slight up swing, SO THEY NEVER SWUNG DOWN ON A PITCH GOING DOWN. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A HIDDEN CRUCIAL KEY TO THE HALL OF FAME RESULTS. WHAT SAY YOU

[@HittingPerformLab]

I absolutely agree. Just get the other 95% of coaches out there teaching the swing to buy into that idea ;-)

[@thegrimmer]

It's virtually impossible to not use the "stability loading pattern" when doing a rotational motion. By definition, you're going to rotate your shoulders like that. Nothing described here was specific to anyone's motion. Show clips of little kids -- they do the exact same thing. This is a video on swings -- not on what makes a good seeing different. Did you trademark "catapult loading system" or something?

[@HittingPerformLab]

You obviously don't teach for a living. Most kids that I first see do not use spinal engine mechanics effectively. Catapult Loading System is a book I wrote that became an Amazon bestseller.

[@johnking7535]

Everyone knows who wears the crown...

[@HittingPerformLab]

I hear what you're cookin' ;-)

[@ethanweeter2732]

Exactly.

[@oldschooloats]

You should break down Bobby, Byron, Ben, Jack and Tiger's golf swing in this way. I think you will see how important the wrists are. The golfers who hit the longest have an extreme lag of the club head with the wrists holding back til the last second. Personally, my most natural swing is this kind of athletic move. The problem is an old rib injury and the stress on the ribcage. Maybe if I focus on the fascia and movement it would take the strain off the rib cage. Do you know Feldenkrais? Either way, it certainly propels the golf ball much farther and more effortlessly. Thanks for the breakdown. The only thing I would add is the way he moves and sort-of jumps on to his front foot at impact. One of your commenters mentioned the hands and I understand your concern about kids being too wristy. When Tiger was at his best, his swing more or less consisted of a shift to his right side and a setting of the wrists. Its different now but when he was killing it that's what he did. So his power, and all golfers power comes from this X-factor, from center-of-the-face contact, from the loading of the shaft and letting the club and shaft snap, from the weight shift and the timing of the release PLUS some wrist cock release also timed to the exact moment of the strike. This could really help golfers and revolutionize how the swing is taught.

[@HittingPerformLab]

OMG! I love your breakdown of the breakdown. We're talking human movement here. It shouldn't matter whether we're talking golf, baseball, or shot put. We're discussing human movement principles. I have some videos planned for the future where I compare and contrast a golfer with a baseball hitter. Also, not sure if you've read Homer Kelly's book The Golfing Machine, but I'd highly advise you read it if you haven't. I'm about halfway through it. Kelly talks about four different Accumulators in the golf back swing to impact: 1) back arm seeking to extend, 2) wrist cock, 3) front arm lever, 4) un-cocking of the wrist. He talks a lot about "educating the hands". I Googled "Feldenkrais Golf" and I think you're right on there. The focus is on how to apply functional human movement to golf. Hit the nail right on the head! I think incorporating more fascial loading (Springy X Pattern) will help relieve some of that rib injury. I'd suggest seeing a Rolfer in your area. Rolf.org and search for one in your area. They manipulate this fascial tissue and believe your body's like plastic and can be put back into shape...permanently :-)

[@jkl90213]

Pete Maravich, O.J. Simpson, and Trent Richardson had or have similar, initial leaning or "loping" forward moves. Watch the ease each time Maravich "loads" for a jump shot. Watch Simpson as he breaks free. Watch Richardson's initial steps.

[@HittingPerformLab]

I love the multi-sport reference. It's not just baseball we're talking here, it's human movement :-)

[@franksantore2327]

During the 15 years I broadcast for Minnesota 's Rookie League affiliate in the Appalachian League at Elizabethton, Tennessee, most of those years the late AL All-star and former Washington Senators manager Jim Lemon was.our hitting coach. Lem said that hitting a baseball was similar to any other sport involving a club, e.g. golf and tennis. Basically, you had to keep your head still and both your head and hands behind the point where the club impacted the ball. This film of Hank Aaron, who supposedly violated the "cardinal rule" of hitting by hitting off his front foot, proves it. His weight was distributed INTO THE SWING, and his head and hands were correctly placed, including, ad you stated, toward his body, where he could get more power and control his swing better, as opposed to away from his body, where the control is not as evident.

[@HittingPerformLab]

Thanks for sharing Frank! And I agree. Instead of looking at Aaron like he had a third eye, WHY not ask the question, "was he on to something?" ;-)

[@patrickmorgan4006]

Hate to break it to anyone who actually believes this "Cardinal rule", but EVERY hitter who is or was worth anything hits off his front foot. In many cases, the back foot completely loses contact with the ground at the moment of impact. Watch any slow motion swing of any great hitter.

[@Freddylikefood]

What a lame analysis. What is your point!?. BTW, Hank Aaron is still THE home run king. I understand that Barry Bonds was talented but greedy and cheater player. In my opinion, there is no room to compare Hank with Bonds.

[@tomsmith5216]

SHOW HIS FRIGGING SEING ALREADY!! Almost t minutes in and all I've seen is the brginninh og hid stride!!! D***...

[@joecolucci2219]

So what I see in hanks game swings is a much more significant barring of the front arm as he very much walks away from his hands. Kinda the same way babe Ruth, Ted Williams, ken Griffey etc. did it. It’s obvious to me you have studied the swing but I have to push back a little here

[@laterikayoung3369]

Rip will forever be a legend

[@HittingPerformLab]

Amen

[@unowen334]

Hank is #1.

[@steveeyler]

way too many stops and starts in this video. Annoying to watch.

[@jcsoxx]

Number one look at the size of the bat.

[@pammarshall5929]

Shut up Joey Marsh about kangaroos.....just show the video repeatedly and give a few words of insight....thank you.

[@HittingPerformLab]

+Pam Marshall Joey "Marsh"??! Well, that's not the worst thing I've been called :-P lol

[@TomDavidMcCauley]

Show the swing already!

[@franciscoa1549]

Catapult system my ass.

[@stun2187]

His shoulder is moving down in and because of where the ball was thrown down and away.

[@HittingPerformLab]

Not necessarily. This is a basic locomotion function - side bending (head over soon to be brace leg). Swing experiments I've seen an avg. bat speed increase of 4-mph with a slight side bend.

[@fdnetti92]

The REAL GREATEST OF ALL TIME

[@rpmorrisjr]

Jeeze did he ever shut up and play the swing? I gave up about five minutes in.

[@HittingPerformLab]

It's a swing analysis, video may be beyond what you're looking for chief.

[@johneykelso1646]

Didn't Mr Aaron use a heavier longer bat as compared to most in the game?

[@HittingPerformLab]

Looks like he used a 35" - 33-oz bat

[@samueljohnson9723]

The true home run king

[@HemiBurns]

...is Barry bonds

[@THETHINKINGMINDS]

Greetings Joey, thanks for posting these well documented videos. They're loaded with cutting edge, and scientific information. I'd like to ask you; how can I implement these mechanics, and principles into racquetball? As you can see it is also a rotational sport. Thanks for your feedback.

[@HittingPerformLab]

Ah ha! Funny you say that. I had a top 5 Shot Putter in the nation (Rob Suelflohn) in the mid-80's contact me about the same thing, but for Shot Put :-) These are scientifically proven human movement principles. I basically took these and applied them to hitting a baseball. Racquetball is an explosive rotational power sport for sure. You're right. You can click the link in the About section underneath the video and search my blog by "Topics". You can also search things like "un-weighting", "forward momentum", "turning faster", "springy fascia". These are topics that will probably give you the best bang for your buck.

[@THETHINKINGMINDS]

Thanks Joey for your very useful reply. I'll follow your recommendation.

[@rjbron9181]

RIP

[@kenyellasmith5504]

I promise u he is

[@tmmyjay]

Unwatchable....

[@HemiBurns]

Aaron had 12,362 at bats vs Bonds 9,847. Aaron played in the easiest stadium to hit homers and Bonds played in the hardest stadium to homer. Aaron faced easier pitching and Bonds faced the toughest pitching, and pitchers were also using steroids. With all that Barry still was the far better homer hitter. I take Bonds over Aaron any day......

[@flaquis2729]

How do you gauge whether pitching was easier during the decades when Aaron played vs when Bonds played? Also, what makes the stadiums Aaron played in easier to hit homers? The dimensions of their home fields are not that much different and I would guess overall baseball stadiums had larger outfield dimensions in the 50's 60's and 70's.

[@HemiBurns]

@@flaquis2729 The pitchers are bigger and throw harder and get replaced by relievers that throw just as hard if not harder. There is a reason no one hits .400 anymore

[@flaquis2729]

@@HemiBurns Well the last to hit .400 was Williams in 1941 so that's not saying much. I don't think you have enough to validate what you say. It's ok to just say you like Bonds more than Aaron. I think the way the game is played now vs then evens out. You could say pitchers throw harder, but hitters are also stronger and maybe more prepared. Back in the day pitchers may not have been as specialized and had to rely on control and endurance. Either way I can't say, I wasn't around back then.

[@HemiBurns]

@@flaquis2729 I think I made it clear I like Bonds more...because Barry was way better. in fact Bonds had the best statical year in BB history as far as I am concerned. We all know Hank played in a homer friendly field while Barry broke records in Candlestick, maybe the worst place to be a homer hitter. Hank is a HOF'er but he only had the HR record because of longevity and an easy homer stadium more than being a monster HR hitter.

[@flaquis2729]

@@HemiBurns I would never take anything away from either player regardless of where they played, but there's a reason only one of them is in the HOF.

[@Cincinnatus1869]

Most players wouldn't be able to hit that way, up on the front foot . If you're going to hit like that you'd better have a really quick bat.

[@mastercleaner57]

Nice video, very wordy explinations , get the book by Milo O. Frank " Get your point across in 30- seconds or less... it would help match up your words to your thought with out the excess....

[@LabelBob]

He loads the right side and creates big separation plus blazing fast hands.

[@fields0020]

You took SOOO long to explain something so simple, and I didn't see one fluid swing from Hank....

[@HittingPerformLab]

The explanation may be lengthy but this is information that's unknown and untaught in the baseball and softball industry. Nobody knows how the body truly internally loads, so I felt it deserved an extended explanation.

[@himuyashiro8218]

HittingPerformLab i really like your ideas to show how other athletes use their bodies for their performances

[@HittingPerformLab]

Thanks Himu. We're really talking about human movement science here. So elements of an elite hitter's mechanics should be present in other explosive rotational power athletes.

[@himuyashiro8218]

HittingPerformLab Yes and even though it is a very intelligent and creative way to think, most other people don't seem to think about and/or understand these things. I think you're onto something very innovative. I can make a little connection to it because I have never used a baseball bat but I know some sword fighting techniques from my culture. And it may sound strange, but i think the way i learnt to control the handle might really help with hand eye coordination for baseball perhaps

[@HittingPerformLab]

Ahhh, I think you're onto something Himu! I'd love to talk with you about sword fighting. I took weapons training in the martial arts for a few years, but never moved onto the sword. Where are you living now? Private message me (through KZbin) your skype or email address.

[@donervin7365]

Hank Aaron used his two power sources which every batter posses but very few have any idea of what they are, which are the hands, which work together in opposite directions at the same time to propel the ball at point of contact which used to be taught, bottom hand pull, leading the hands movement, top hand push following until through sports science research it was proven that the proper hand movement should be, top hand pushing, driving barrel leading with bottom hand following, pulling knob, both hands operating, working together in opposite directions at the same time Players and coaches of today have no idea of how the body works within a series of sequenced chained reactive body movements and how important the hips and hands are to bat speed and getting the barrel quickly to the ball at the point of contact and most importantly how to teach batters how to successfully do so. During one's swing one's shoulders do not rotate, they tilt up and down on a lateral axis, all on a vertical plane initiated by the snappy rear knee pivot which actually sets up the shoulder tilt, the batter should not physically force the tilt to materialize, let the rear knee pivot initiate and set the tilt to minimize the possibility of hip and knee collapsing. You have a very informative site Great Baseball-N Don Ervin [e-mail]

[@HittingPerformLab]

Thanks Don for the comment. I understand what you're getting at with the hands. But I try and stay away from hand driven coaching cues. What I've found is young hitters tend to be too handsy. They need to understand how the body loads and unloads in the torso. Centripetal (center seeking) and Centrifugal (center fleeing) forces take care of what the hands do. I don't agree with you about the shoulders though. The shoulders play an important role in axial rotating versus the pelvis. These are common spine engine mechanics that Dr. Serge Gracovetsky uncovered. You mentioned side bending (down shoulder angle). There's also extension or lordosis. The shoulders need to "block" (hitter showing their numbers to pitcher) longer than the pelvis. The pelvis doesn't even rotate inward toward the catcher to be efficient on the frontal plane.

[@swampstudnation8506]

I think Hank would have hit more home runs if you were his coach. NOT

[@HittingPerformLab]

+Jared Greenwood Ooooooh! Well, you throw like a girl!! lol

[@naturalthing1]

nice one

[@HittingPerformLab]

@mastercleaner57: thanks for the recommendation!

[@kenyellasmith5504]

he is my uncle i found that out in history my mom explained it even my grandma

[@HittingPerformLab]

Awesome!!

[@kenyellasmith5504]

HittingPerformLab ik right I saw pics of him at my mother birthday and everything

[@keithconrad3237]

One thing that helped his strength IMO was that as a youngster he hit cross handed with his right hand on the bottom, and this helped him develop stronger wrists and forearms than normal.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Think he also hit with a heavy bat too. So if he made contact, that ball would probably go a long ways and with high velocity.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Never mind, he only used a 33 ounce bat, which is relatively light for a great HR hitter’s bat.

[@elderyashah]

Is this about the late, great Hank Aaron or YOU? IJS

[@HittingPerformLab]

You're very perceptive, this video was done: Jul 8, 2013 ...welcome to the party!

[@elderyashah]

@@HittingPerformLab So it IS about you. Sad.

[@HittingPerformLab]

@@elderyashah Right over your head.

[@elderyashah]

@@HittingPerformLab You are an arrogant and presumptuous child who speaks to that which you don't know or understand. Is that over your head? Probably. This conversation is over. Understand?

[@HittingPerformLab]

@@elderyashah I think you're projecting

[@hoodayorg6510]

Could you talk a bit more?

[@HittingPerformLab]

Mel, about?

[@no-bozos]

This diatribe is why Aaron could get a lot of speed to his bat head, but this is not what made Aaron the great hitter he was. Aaron was really good at understanding the situation and knowing a pitchers tendencies. That way, at any given time, he would have a good understanding of what pitch to expect and how to adjust his body accordingly. There is footage of him getting a pitch high and outside in the strike zone. If you know what to look for, you see him lift and rotate his body to move the apex of his swing to the spot where the ball was going to cross the plate. He then laces a line drive over the right-center wall for a home run. Hank Aaron had extremely quick reflexes, the intelligence for situation thinking and a mastery of his body mechanics to be able to trigger his swing for optimal striking force on the ball. Great hitting is SO much more than body mechanics.

[@HittingPerformLab]

Diatribe?? "a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something." Uh...no. Not what this video was "No Bozos". There are other things to hitting besides mechanics, you're right. But it's one thing ALL hitters can control. What you described are things Aaron naturally learned how to do over time. But body movement is body movement. Either you move better, or you don't.

[@no-bozos]

Nope. Each person's body is different, and what works fro some will not work for all. Also, a young hitter does not have the discipline to swing a specific way and be patient enough to wait for a pitch that these specific body mechanics apply to. It is better for them to learn to be aggressive and mentally tough, and then, learn these specifics later. Your video is way too specific for young people and isn't applicable until later. Baseball skills have to evolve to the professional level. Young people need to learn to be passionate and aggressive. They don't need the science of hitting. I am not knocking your intent, but even the best hitter in baseball, Ted Williams, was quoted saying that he would never change someone's swing. Your video teaches someone how to hit FOR power. Which is great for someone in high school ball who is interested in becoming a home run hitter, but it doesn't address, like you said, the rest of hitting. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I haven't seen another video from you addressing other aspects of hitting. My apologies if I'm wrong. I just get tired of EVERY SINGLE PARENT in Little League thinking that their child is the next Hank Aaron and that there's some "secret" to it. There isn't.

[@HittingPerformLab]

Harsh, ya think!? "No Bozos", that second to last sentence is your problem. We aren't "every single parent". We have over 250 free videos on KZbin demonstrating our system. Can't fit it all into one 10-min vid, sorry. We have over 35K coaches that follow us on email. Over 30K coaches and parents on Facebook. We have 67-lb 10yos hitting homers (in games) 180-feet. 135-lb hitters (plural) in HS hitting balls over 380-feet with BBCOR and wood. Professionals like Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, and Jose Altuve embody what we teach mechanically. We apply human movement principles validated by REAL science to hitting a ball, NOT because-I-said-so "bro-science"...because opinions ARE NOT facts. If you want to know the cornerstone of our system, please read Thomas Myers's book "Anatomy Trains", and Dr. Serge Gracovetsky's book "The Spinal Engine"...the latter author is a Physicist and Electrical Engineer...the former, a Rolfer body worker. Be careful about snap judgements and dropping us in a bucket with the "bro-science" people.

[@no-bozos]

Point well taken. I just know WAY too many Little League parents who think there is a magic formula to playing the game and tend to be way too hard on their boys. It's just a game.

[@HittingPerformLab]

I agree. It's an epidemic.

[@jonyajones6117]

Here you go again. Show the damn video already. Lol. Wtf

[@HittingPerformLab]

The short vocab problem person again. For future reference...we do hitting analysis. You see our video and don't want that, then don't click on it. Simple.

[@stevebetker829]

Until someone can hit more home runs in a single season than an entire team like Babe Ruth did, dont even waste your time thinking about putting someone in his class as the greatest baseball player ever.